


Six Plus Two

by orphan_account



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-02-11
Packaged: 2018-01-10 07:57:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1157071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tahiti's not the only thing wrong with Coulson. (Spoilers for "The Magical Place")</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“We’re getting two new agents on the Bus today, Melinda,” Phil noted mildly, archiving an email about it from Director Fury. Melinda looked up, surprised.

“I think our team is good as it is. Why do we need new agents?” Melinda frowned a bit. “I hadn’t heard anything about this until now. The last thing we need is to train more newbies with no field experience.”

“Oh, don’t worry, they’re experienced. It’s Barton and Romanoff. I worked with them a few times in my early days, and they’re pretty reliable.” Phil hadn’t seen either of the two of them in a while, but he didn’t recall them being especially close, either. He was a bit concerned about Barton, since he had been dealing with the aftereffects of Loki’s brainwashing, but he figured Fury wouldn’t station him and Romanoff somewhere if Barton couldn’t deal with it.

“I know you worked with them, Phil.” Melinda frowned a little, and Phil tried to remember when he had told Melinda about them. “Don’t they have Avenger stuff to do, though? Or other missions? Hill’s always stationing them overseas to do spy things.”

“Fury says they’re coming here and will be stationed here for a while. He didn’t give a reason.” Phil shrugged. “It’ll be good to see them again, in any case.”

Melinda gave him an odd look. “...yeah. Yeah, it will. I always liked Romanoff.” She turned her gaze back to the plane’s front window, and Phil took that as a cue to leave her alone. He made his way back to his quarters, and waited for the plane to land.

Barton and Romanoff were waiting for the Bus when they landed, and when Phil came out to greet them, he gave them a friendly wave and a faint smile.

“Welcome to the Bus. We’re glad to have you. Come on in.” He beckoned for them to follow him, but neither of them moved. They stared at him, and Coulson squirmed a bit, uncomfortable.

“Are you kidding? That’s how you greet us?” Romanoff’s face was a bit pale, and neither of them could stop looking at him. Phil wondered how much they knew about how he had been kept alive. Unpleasant memories floated up in his brain, and he did his best to push them down. Announcing he was alive had been more fun when he had had a dark corner to walk out of. That, and when he still thought he had gone to Tahiti.

“I - “ Phil floundered, not entirely sure what to say. “I’m sorry my death was kept from you. We had to keep it secret from most of SHIELD. That was Fury’s decision, not mine.”

“Oh, we know it was _his_ decision.” There was something icy in Romanoff’s voice, and something about the situation didn’t sit quite right with Phil. He didn’t know what to say, though, so he beckoned for the two of them to follow him.

“I’ll show you to your quarters. Fury said that the two of you requested shared quarters, so we had two singles converted into a double.” Focusing on logistics and things that needed to get done helped distract Phil, and the more he thought about the situation, the more wrong it felt. It was better to focus on things that he understood. It also struck him as a little odd that Barton and Romanoff shared quarters, but he had heard rumors that they were romantically involved, so he supposed that could be a reason. He tried not to think about that either, because that made him pretty damn uncomfortable too.

As they walked, he caught Barton looking at him, and Barton looked almost despondent. He hadn’t said anything since coming on the bus, and Phil wondered if that was an aftereffect of Loki’s mind control. Romanoff had her hand on Barton’s arm, and they slipped into their quarters, not saying another word to Phil. Phil closed the door behind them, standing there for a moment and wondering if he had offended them somehow. He supposed it would take them time to deal with the fact that he was still alive, but this was a reaction that was on par with how Melinda’s and Victoria’s had been. Someone less close to him wouldn’t have cared as much, he reasoned, but he supposed people surprised him sometimes.

 

“He doesn’t remember us.” Clint only spoke once Phil had closed the door, and his voice was flat. “At least, he doesn’t remember knowing us well.” He was sitting on his bed, staring into space, and Natasha sat down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“He might be in shock. Hell, I’m in shock. It’s like looking at a ghost.” Natasha was letting herself be a little more open with her emotion now that Phil was out of earshot, but her hands were shaking now, so she held Clint a little tighter, her other hand on her knee to stabilize it. “I thought finding out Fury misled us was going to be the worst of this. Apparently not.”

“Hill told us they replaced his memories, to reduce the trauma of the experience. Hell knows what else Fury messed with. Phil’s death gave us all a push, and Fury probably didn’t want that push to go away, in case he needs our ragtag team again.” Clint was still staring at the wall, so Natasha just leaned her head on his shoulder, knowing there wasn’t much she could do for him at the moment.

“Well, we went and ruined that for him, and frankly, I don’t give a shit. Fury deserves it,” Natasha said. “We’ll come back to the Avengers if we’re needed. At least, the two of us will. But for now, we got on the Bus, and we’re going to stay here. Phil needs us.”

“If he needs us, he has no idea.” There was a hint of bitterness in Clint’s voice, and Natasha turned her head to look at him. Clint was still staring at the wall, so she touched a finger under his chin and tilted his chin up gently so he would look at her.

“We’ve got time, Clint. We’re here with him now, and we’ll fix this, whatever Fury did to him. I don’t intend to leave his side unless we’re forced to.” Natasha and Clint had both fought their way to be here, even though Fury was less than keen on the idea, and Natasha planned to stay indefinitely. Clint and Phil were both here, and there wasn’t much for her back on the ground, anyway. This was where she belonged, for now.

After a while, Clint nodded, and he reached for Natasha, pulling her into his arms. Clint had always been more inclined to touch than speech, but these days, Natasha noticed it even more. She wrapped her arms around him in return, hoping she could give him a little comfort.

“I still worry about you, you know.” Her voice was soft, muffled against his shoulder.

“That’s not new.” Clint made a sound that was would have been a laugh, but it was faint and humorless.

“Sometimes I just need to remind you. I’m here for you, all right?” Natasha gave him a squeeze, and pressed a faint kiss to his shoulder. Clint’s lips quirked upward slightly in a ghost of a smile, but it faded quickly.

“I know. Thanks, Tash.”

“This is a second chance with Phil. And we won’t mess it up, okay?”

“Okay.” 


	2. Chapter 2

There were three things on Skye’s mind:

First: Barton reminded her of a lost puppy.

Second: Romanoff was as cool as all the rumors said, but about five times scarier.

Third: Coulson was acting really weird. She had tried to pull him aside to talk to him earlier, but he had disappeared inside his office, and she hadn't seen him since. So she was on her way to Fitz and Simmons' lab now instead, feeling a bit antsy and needing someone to talk to. 

“ - I heard that she’s nearly ninety years old and that her aging is incredibly slow. Isn’t that fascinating? I wonder what her telomeres look like. Oh! Hello, Skye.” Jemma looked up from a heated discussion with Leo and gave Skye a smile and a friendly little wave. Leo still had his serious science face on, but he gave Skye a nod and a wave too.

“Pretty sure Romanoff would object to being your science experiment.” Skye perched on a lab stool, resting her elbows on her knees. Jemma huffed a little.

“Purely hypothetical, Skye. And I’m sure Barton and Romanoff are used to everyone talking about them, being Avengers. It’s exciting to have new people on board!” Jemma definitely looked excited, but Skye had a feeling that she found the prospect of unusual telomeres a lot more exciting than getting to know new people.

“It is, yeah. But it’s shaken things up a bit. Does Coulson seem like he’s been acting weird to you?” Skye poked idly at a hologram, and Leo swatted her hand away, scowling.

“Of course he’s been acting strange. You know what he just found out.” Leo looked around briefly, presumably for Coulson, but it looked like the three of them were alone for now.

“No, I know that. He’s been acting even weirder since Barton and Romanoff showed up, though. He dodges them in the hallway, and then Barton looks at him like a sad puppy. I’d say Romanoff was acting funny too, but it’s hard to read her face,” Skye said, and Jemma frowned a little.

“They might have had some past conflicts, you know. I think Melinda mentioned them having worked together, and maybe it went sour,” Jemma said, and Leo pulled up another hologram screen.

“I remember something like that, too. Strike Team Gamma...Alpha...Delta? Strike Team Delta, I think.” Leo ran a search for information on the three agents, and Skye turned toward him on her stool, peering at the screen. She leaned up flush against Jemma to see the screen better, and when she realized what she was doing, she reddened and shifted away a bit. Jemma was engrossed in what she was reading on the screen and didn't react, to Skye's relief. She tried not to think about how warm Jemma felt, and focused her attention on the information Leo had pulled up. 

“Ah! Strike Team Delta.” Leo pointed at the screen, and Skye realized her gaze had turned from the screen to the two scientists beside her, so she made herself look back at the screen again. Fitz had pulled Strike Team Delta’s file up, along with pictures of the three agents that seemed to be from at least ten years ago.

“Barton still looks like an angry bird, Romanoff looks like she hasn’t aged a day, and Coulson’s hair looks a little less bald and a little more fuzzy. Good to know.” Skye looked closer. “Looks like they worked together for...almost ten years, damn. Pretty long time.”

“They must have had a falling out, then,” Jemma said, and Leo nodded.

“Still doesn’t explain why Barton gives him all those longing looks, though,” Skye said, and made her best puppy face. “Like this, when he thinks no one’s looking.”

“Skye, be nice, he doesn’t look quite that silly,” Jemma said, tsking a little. “But I see what you mean. I think I’ve seen him do that before, too.”

“Romanoff just looks...angry. Maybe Coulson pissed her off.” Skye thought for a moment. “Ooh, what if it’s a love triangle? Maybe Romanoff’s in love with Barton, but Barton has lingering feelings for Coulson, and she’s - “

Skye cut herself off immediately, seeing a glint of red hair just before Agent Romanoff walked through the door. Leo wasn’t able to exit out of the window in time, and Romanoff walked over to the screen, peering at it.

“You know, if you want to know stuff, you can just ask. I promise I’m not as scary as all the rumors at SHIELD Academy say I am.” Romanoff sounded mildly irritated at most, and Skye breathed a mental sigh of relief. If there was one thing she didn’t want to do, it was get on Romanoff’s bad side.

“You made a name for yourself sneaking up on people and doing violent things to them, I’d say that’s pretty scary.”

“ _Skye_!” Jemma looked horrified, but Romanoff waved a hand.

“No, she’s right, and I’m not going to deny that. I guess I am pretty scary. But if you can believe it, I enjoy things like cats and ballet and flowers, too.” Romanoff hardly seemed fazed, and if Skye had offended her, she didn’t show it. She hoped Romanoff wasn’t planning to get her back for that later, but if this reaction was genuine, Romanoff seemed like a pretty chill lady, which Skye liked.

“And you hijacked that Chitauri motorbike, too. That was pretty damn cool,” Skye offered, and Romanoff’s lips quirked up in a hint of a smile.

“Yeah. Pretty damn cool is right. That’s what they don’t mention in this file.” Romanoff pointed to the screen. “I’m the coolest lady around.” She paused, and then laughed a little. “Well, except for Melinda. And Maria, too.”

Skye smiled. Then she looked over at the scientists, and she had to stifle a laugh. Jemma's hands were tight against the edge of the table, and Leo was clutching his tablet to his chest, both of them still staring at Romanoff. 

“Relax, kids. Seriously.” Romanoff gave the two of them a look, and they both nodded, still looking vaguely frantic. Skye thought she heard a faint “yes, ma’am” from Leo, and she bit her lip, trying not to laugh.

“Why were you looking us up, though? Just curious?” Romanoff scrolled through the file. When she did, Skye caught a hint of melancholy on her face, especially when she scrolled over a picture of Coulson. That definitely didn’t look like jealousy, and Skye wondered what had gone on among the three of them.

“Yeah, we were curious. We wanted to get some reliable information, since the internet is swimming with rumors and fan sites and nonsense,” Skye said. “I saw a rumor that you wrestled a bear once. Is that true?”

Romanoff laughed out loud at that, and Skye found that she liked the sound. Romanoff seemed more human in person, especially when she smiled, and Skye was glad she could do that for her. Jemma and Leo seemed to step back, letting Skye handle the conversation. Skye was pretty proud of herself, because after all, it seemed to be pretty difficult to make the Black Widow smile.

“You can believe that if you want. But I’ll leave you wondering,” Romanoff said, smirking. “But I totally could, if one showed up in front of me.” Skye laughed again, but then she caught a glimpse of someone outside. Barton was standing outside the window to the lab, looking a bit confused, as if Romanoff was doing something unusual. Skye wondered if Romanoff had been in a bad mood long enough that Barton hadn’t seen her smile in a long time.

“Your bird’s waiting on you.” Skye pointed to the window, and Romanoff saw Barton, giving him a faint smile. There was a hint of softness in her face, and Skye felt herself blush a little, feeling as if she was looking in on a private exchange.

“If you call him that to his face, he’ll probably have some words for you. Anyway, that’s my cue to leave. See you around.” Romanoff gave them all a brief wave, and slipped out of the lab, following Barton out of sight.

“That was rude of you, Skye. You shouldn’t point out her past like that,” Jemma said once Romanoff was out of earshot, her voice low.

“She didn’t seem to mind that much.” Skye shrugged. “It’s better to get the elephant in the room out of the way. Now she and I can talk about cool alien motorbike stuff.”

“Still, though. It probably bothered her anyway. How would you like it if people brought up distressing things from your past?” Jemma said, and Leo gave her a warning look. Skye bristled a little bit.

“I think I’m pretty used to that now. I deal with my past just fine.” At least, as much as I know about it. “Romanoff’s stronger and more badass than me, anyway. I’m sure she doesn’t need you to be all concerned about her feelings.”

Jemma’s lips tightened, and she went quiet after that, leaving them in an awkward silence. Skye felt her heart twist a little, hating being in conflict with either of them.

“Look, we just worry about you, okay?” Leo said finally, and Skye looked up, surprised.

“Romanoff’s not going to kill me in my sleep, Fitz. Christ.” Skye was more than a little touched if that was true, though, and her voice was a little softer now.

“You’re important to us, so maybe we get a little overprotective.” Leo wasn’t quite looking either of them in the eye, and Skye felt her face redden, despite herself.

“...’s fine, Leo,” Skye said quietly. “Thank you.” She felt a little out of her depth now, not used to so many people caring about her at once, much less people she cared a fair bit about herself. Jemma put a hand on her shoulder gently, and she froze up, not sure how to react.

“Just do us a favor and don’t make scary spies angry, all right? We’re both ridiculous worrywarts, even if it’s a little irrational.” Jemma gave Skye’s shoulder a squeeze, and then let her go, leaving Skye rather flustered. She took a deep breath, calming herself.

“All right, all right. I’ll stay on her good side. I’ll keep our conversations to talk of alien motorbikes, and maybe her bird boyfriend.”

“Skye, you’re being very presumptuous! That’s just a silly rumor!”

Skye laughed a little. “We’ll see.”


	3. Chapter 3

“You should show the ducklings what you can do with the bow. I’m sure they’d love to see it.” Natasha nudged Clint gently, breaking the silence of the morning. Clint looked up at Natasha from where he lay beside her, confused and groggy.

“Ducklings?”

“Never mind. I call them that in my head. But you should show the younger agents what you can do. Give them a little show, maybe teach them.” Natasha hoped that this might help get Clint out of his funk and give him something else to focus on besides Phil. “If nothing else, you can give them a good scare. I saw some of them yesterday, and I think most of them are terrified of me.”

“Oh yeah? Did they see one of your trademark glares?” Clint laughed a little, but the sound was faint, barely there. Natasha eased a little closer to him, slipping her arm around his back. He relaxed a little at the touch, and Natasha was glad she could give him a little comfort, at least.

“No, I caught them reading up on us, actually.”

Clint raised an eyebrow. “What’d they pull up?”

“Just Strike Team Delta stuff. I guess they’re curious about it,” Natasha said, and she thought she felt Clint holding her just a little tighter. “The only one I didn’t scare was Skye. She’s a good kid. I like her.” It had definitely been a mistake to bring up Strike Team Delta again, so she tried to bring the subject back to where it had been before. “I’m sure she’d definitely appreciate seeing your technique. And you could take Agent Ward down a peg. He looks like he thinks he’s hot stuff.”

That made Clint smile a little, faintly. “I’m always up for taking baby agents down a peg. If I go do that, though, what are you going to do when I’m gone?”

Natasha shrugged. “I’ll find something. Maybe I’ll go keep Melinda company.” She had specific plans, but she needed Clint occupied with something else for the day.

Clint gave her one last squeeze, and then got up, stretching. “All right. That sounds like a plan for the day. What do I do, just go round ‘em up, and then they’ll follow me like ducklings to the archery range?”

“Exactly. Just like ducklings.”

 

Once Clint was occupied with the four youngest agents, Natasha made her way to Phil’s office, intent on talking to him whether he wanted to talk or not. She knocked on his door and waited, but he didn’t answer, even though she knew he was inside.

“Coulson, it’s Romanoff. I need to talk to you.” If there was anything left in Phil that really remembered her, he would know that he’d regret it if he ignored that tone of voice. She waited, her arms crossed. Finally, the door opened, and Natasha steeled herself as she came face to face with Coulson again, trying not to let any outward signs of distress show. Coulson gestured for her to come inside.

“Sorry for the delay, I was finishing up some paperwork. What was it you needed to talk about, Agent Romanoff?” There was something odd in Phil’s tone of voice that Natasha couldn’t quite place, and he seemed unable to look her in the eye. She sat down across from his desk, keeping her expression even and nonthreatening.

“Phil, I’m going to be frank with you. I’m here to talk to you about _us_.” That got Phil’s attention, and he looked up at her, tensing up a little. He stayed silent, watching her, so Natasha continued to speak.

“What do you remember about Agent Barton and I?” It made her heart twist to see him like this, but she knew she had to address this sooner rather than later. Clint sure as hell wasn’t going to do it, seeing as he got skittish every time Natasha brought it up.

“We worked together for a short time.” Phil’s voice was a little stilted, as if he was trying to keep his voice even, but he wasn’t doing a very good job. Natasha took a deep, slow breath, knowing that she had to keep herself calm for Phil’s sake.

“We worked together for almost a decade, Phil. Strike Team Delta.” Natasha took out her phone, pulling up the file Skye had been looking through yesterday, and she slid it across Phil’s desk, letting him look. He picked up the phone, his hands trembling a little.

“I know. I read it in the file.” Phil’s voice was hoarse. “I’ve read that file over and over. But my mind tells me differently.” He turned his computer monitor around for Natasha to see. Strike Team Delta from ten years ago stared at her, their faces like ghosts. Natasha felt a chill, and gripped her chair a little tighter.

“...He did something to you, then.” Saying it out loud made it seem more real, more concrete. Natasha wanted anything else but for that to be true, but she knew it was the only explanation. Phil nodded faintly, his face pale.

“They told me about Tahiti. But no one told me about this.” He finally met her eyes, and Natasha willed herself to keep his gaze, even though heartbreak and rage were welling up inside her. She nodded, finding that she couldn’t speak because her throat was too tight. Phil was silent for a while, and then spoke again, his voice almost earnest.

“You have no idea how much I want to remember what I was to you. Both of you.”

Natasha’s heart gave a painful twist, and she dug her nails into the arm of her chair, willing herself to get through this without breaking down.

“We - we can help you try to remember.” Now it was Natasha’s voice that was hoarse. Phil shook his head, and it felt like someone had twisted a knife inside her.

“I can’t. It’s like there’s a wall in my brain. I - “ His voice broke off for a moment, and he took a deep breath. “I know what happened to me, when I died. They told me, and now I know it’s true. But my brain still takes me to Tahiti. Whatever they did to my mind, it’s permanent. I can be told, but I can’t fully remember.” It was all Natasha could do not to reach out to Phil, but the last thing she wanted to do was make him uncomfortable. This was something she would have to bear on her own. His comfort was more important than hers right now.

“...Do you want me to tell you?” Natasha’s voice was quiet now, and Phil hesitated. After a moment, he shook his head, and Natasha felt her heart sink.

“Whatever it was, it wouldn’t be authentic anymore,” Phil said, looking away from her now. “It wouldn’t be the same as it was, and I know that would hurt the two of you even more. I’m sorry.” Natasha’s lips tightened, and she nodded. What he was saying made sense, and in her heart, she knew it was the best option for now, but it still hurt like hell.

“Do what’s best for you, Phil.” The walls felt like they were closing in around Natasha, the more emotion she felt, so she got up. “I should go.” She made herself turn to him one last time, meeting his eyes. “But if you need me, seek me out. I’m here for you. That won’t ever change.”

Phil nodded, his lips tight, and Natasha ducked out of his office before she lost her composure completely. She made her way through the Bus, praying she wouldn’t see anyone, and ended up at the workout room. She thanked the nonexistent gods that Clint was still occupied with the agents, and began to take out her emotions on the punching bag, losing herself in the physicality of it. She lost track of time, ignoring the sting in her hands, and only looked up when she heard someone’s voice.

“Natasha. Bandage your hands.”

Natasha turned around to see Melinda, feeling shame wash over her. Her first instinct was to slip her hands in her pockets to hide them, but she knew Melinda knew exactly what was going on.

“I haven’t seen you doing this since you first came to SHIELD. What’s wrong?” Melinda stepped forward and handed a first aid kit to Natasha, which Natasha reluctantly took, sitting down on one of the benches. Melinda sat down beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder gently.

“Temporarily emotionally compromised.” Natasha wrapped bandages around her hands were the skin had split from how hard she had been throwing punches, and she stared ahead, not looking at Melinda.

“I can see that,” Melinda said. “Look. Next time you feel like this, come talk to me. I know we haven’t seen each other in a while, but that doesn’t change the fact that I care about you.” Natasha felt a twist of guilt, finishing up the bandages.

“This won’t happen again, Melinda. I had to do something difficult, and now it’s over. It’s not going to compromise me after today.”

“Is this about Coulson?” Melinda lowered her voice, and Natasha tensed up under Melinda’s hand. After a moment, she nodded.

“I’d rather not talk about it.” Natasha leaned into Melinda’s touch, taking a bit of comfort from it. “...I’ve missed you, though. Thank you for stopping me.”

“Fair enough. And no problem.” Melinda gave Natasha’s shoulder a squeeze, and then lifted her hand. “Come with me. Barton’s showing the younger agents arrow tricks, and it’s a sight to see. I think it’ll help you out.” She stood, beckoning for Natasha to follow, and Natasha obliged.

That was a better thing to lose herself in, and Natasha watched Clint as he moved, feeling a little of her pain melt away. Ward, Simmons, and Fitz scattered a little when she entered, but Skye’s face lit up.

“Hey, Romanoff! Your boyfriend’s awesome.” Skye grinned, and Natasha couldn’t help the faint smile that crossed her lips. Melinda raised an eyebrow at the word “boyfriend,” but Natasha didn’t bother to refute it.

“Yeah. Yeah, he is. But you should see our combo moves.” Natasha stepped forward to join Clint, waving her hand to get his attention. She felt her spirits lift a bit, despite everything.

“Come on, Clint. Let’s give these agents a show.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Romanoff keeps meeting with Coulson when Barton’s busy. I wonder what that’s all about.” Skye was perching on the lab’s counter, and Jemma came by, swatting at her lightly.

“Get off there, Skye. I just autoclaved pipette tips and that’s where they go.” Jemma brushed past her, and then stopped, realizing what Skye had said.

“It’s probably just SHIELD business, Skye. Agent Romanoff is very highly ranked.” Jemma reached behind Skye, stuffing a box of pipette tips behind her on the counter, and Skye blushed when she felt Jemma’s skin against hers. Jemma pulled away before she could react much, other than a small sort of squirm on the counter.

“Barton’s ranked just as highly as Romanoff. If it was SHIELD business, I figure they’d be talking together, right? But she’s always in Coulson’s office whenever Barton is busy with something else. That makes me wonder.”

“One of these days, Skye, Romanoff is going to walk in here again, right when you’re suggesting that she and Coulson are having a romantic tryst or something.” Leo rolled his eyes, not looking up from the wires and metal he was fiddling with.

“If anyone looks like they’re in love with Coulson, it’s Barton,” Jemma noted, and Leo scowled.

“Jemma!”

“Skye’s right. You’ve seen the way he looks at Coulson, haven’t you? I’m fairly sure that most of his expressions are standard, grade-A puppy love.” Jemma chuckled a bit. “Maybe I’m getting too much into gossip. That’d be your doing, Skye.”

“Oh, come on, like you two don’t gossip. You even tricked me about Melinda, back when.” Skye’s tone was fond, and she laughed a bit. Leo waved a hand, dismissing her.

“That was something we absolutely had to do, because you hadn’t yet been pranked. How horrible would we be if we denied you SHIELD Academy’s traditions?” Leo’s tone was serious, but he was masking a sputter, and then finally, he had a fit of giggles over his metal and wires, laughing along with Skye and Jemma.

“Very horrible indeed,” Skye said, nodding very seriously. She couldn’t help smiling and laughing when they did; their happiness was infectious. So she took a risk, going out on a limb for a moment.

“You two should smile more. It’s cute.”

Jemma turned beet red, and Leo nearly dropped his piece of metal. Skye felt her face flush, immediately regretting saying that out loud.

“It’s a good thing, I swear.” Skye felt like she was backpedaling, but she was backpedaling down a hill that she didn’t quite know how to navigate. “It...It doesn’t undermine your science skills, I swear. Not a bit.” That got Jemma to laugh a little, but the sound was faint, and the blush hadn’t gone away. None of them spoke, and Skye floundered mentally, mortified. She changed the subject, hoping they’d forget about it.

“I’m still curious about Coulson and Romanoff, though. I’m telling you, something’s up. And Barton doesn’t know about it.” Skye couldn’t quite look either of them in the eye, and she shrank away a little when Jemma reached behind her to grab a beaker.

“It’s not our business, Skye. And Coulson’s love life is the last thing I want to talk about. Same with Melinda for that matter, actually. Talking about them kissing people is like...it’s like talking about parents kissing people. It’s awkward,” Leo said, and Skye wrinkled her nose a little, not having thought about it that way.

“Okay, okay, point. But I’m still curious.”

“Why are you so obsessed with love triangles lately, anyway?” Leo asked, and Skye reddened.

“Maybe it’s not a love triangle. Maybe it’s polyamory, and they all love each other equally.” Skye folded her arms. “Or at least, they should. I think they’d work great together.”

“What, are you playing matchmaker now? Are you going to suggest that Victoria joins Melinda and Grant in their romantic escapades?”

“Leo, you’re being rude.” Jemma gave him a little frown.

“That’s not who I’d put in a trio situation, because they wouldn’t work. Victoria’s obviously got eyes for Melinda, but Grant’s not even in her area of interest.” Jemma and Leo were both continuing to watch her, and she felt her face redden again, feeling an increasing urge to get out of here.

“Who _would_ you put in a situation like that, then?” Jemma asked, a little curiosity in her voice. Leo raised his eyebrows a little.

“I - I don’t know. Never mind.” Skye knew her face was red, and she needed some time away from Jemma and Leo so she could breathe. “I’m going to go train. I’ll see you guys later.”

“All right. Talk to you later, then,” Jemma said, and Leo gave a small wave, frowning a little. Skye ducked out of the lab and went down to the lower floor where the punching bags were. When she got down there, however, she saw that she wasn’t going to be alone. Romanoff was beating the crap out of her own punching bag, and Skye watched a bit, mesmerized by how strong she was. She realized she was staring, so she tore herself away and went to wrap her hands, sitting on the bench.

Romanoff saw Skye when she sat down, and she stopped punching, watching Skye instead. She slipped her hands into her pockets, but before she did, Skye thought she saw a hint of raw, red skin. She frowned a little.

“Hey, Romanoff. I’m just here to blow off some steam, don’t mind me.” Skye finished wrapping her hands and got up, turning to the punching bag and landing a few soft blows to warm up.

“You can call me Natasha. I don’t mind,” Romanoff said, and that made Skye stop and look at her.

“Really?”

“I call you Skye.” Romanoff - no, Natasha - shrugged, and Skye shifted a bit uncomfortably.

“I don’t exactly have a last name,” Skye said. “Everyone has to call me Skye.”

“You can still call me Natasha.” Natasha seemed to notice Skye’s discomfort, because her brow furrowed a little, but she didn’t say anything about it.

“...thanks.” Skye threw a few more punches, wanting to think about things that didn’t have to do with her past, and weren’t related to Jemma and Leo.

“No problem.” Natasha resumed her own workout, and Skye watched her out of the corner of her eye. Natasha hadn’t wrapped her hands, and Skye thought she saw a hint of blood on Natasha’s knuckles.

“Hey.” Skye stopped punching, and approached Natasha. “You shouldn’t do that. You’re hurting yourself.” Natasha gave a hint of a flinch, but came to a stop, meeting Skye’s gaze head-on.

“I got used to this sort of thing, growing up. Old habits die hard,” Natasha said, but Skye shook her head.

“That’s not why you’re doing this, though. I was watching you go at it, and you looked upset.”

“So did you.”

“I’m just upset over something dumb. You probably have something more legitimate going on.” Skye shrugged, and Natasha raised an eyebrow.

“Dumb or no, it was enough to make you come down here and take it out on something,” Natasha pointed out. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Skye shook her head immediately, her face going red. “No. Thank you.” Natasha nodded, silent for a while, and then spoke again.

“Look. Coulson briefed me a little about what’s going on with you, so I wanted to let you know that I’m here for you to talk to, if you need it. We’ve got more in common than you think,” Natasha said, and Skye looked up at Natasha, wondering what exactly she meant by having something in common. She realized she knew almost nothing about the woman standing in front of her.

Finally, Skye nodded. “Thank you. That means a lot.” She hesitated, and then spoke again. “Just...promise me one thing?”

“Yeah?”

“Take care of yourself. And bandage your hands.” Skye’s voice was a little quiet, and she had a feeling she was probably pushing it. Natasha didn’t answer, and for a moment, Skye thought she had made her angry. Natasha turned and made her way toward the first aid kid, though, and wrapped her hands properly, just like Skye had. She turned back to Skye, ready to strike her own punching bag.

“Think you can last longer punching this thing than the Black Widow?” Natasha raised her eyebrow in challenge, and Skye found herself smiling a bit.

“Probably not. But I’ll try my damndest.”


	5. Chapter 5

“What do you even do while I’m busy training the younger agents?” Clint asked one night. “They could use your help, too. If you’re going to go and make me do that all the time, you should come with me once in a while.”

“I have other stuff I do while you’re gone.” Natasha didn’t look at him, and Clint bristled a bit. He leaned against the wall of their quarters and tried to meet her gaze.

“That’s exactly what I’m asking you about. I want to know what that ‘other stuff’ is, and I figure you should be able to tell me that. Right? You and Melinda aren’t that close, you can’t be spending all that time with her. And half the time, she comes to watch me teach the kids.” Natasha was still looking away, so Clint walked toward her, sitting down beside her instead. When he did, he got a good glimpse of her hands, which were red and raw.

“Whatever the hell you’re doing, it’s upsetting you. Don’t even try to deny that, Tash.” Clint tilted up Natasha’s chin gently with a finger so she’d look at him, and she met his gaze, keeping her expression even.

“I can handle it, all right?” Natasha said, and Clint scoffed.

“And by ‘handle it,’ you mean wear away your hands until they’re red. Okay.” Clint had a sick feeling that this had to do with Coulson. “I don’t understand why you can’t just tell me.”

“It’s better if I don’t.”

“Tash, you know that’s bullshit.”

“Like you’re the king of talking about anything that actually matters.”

Natasha got up, moving to stand in the corner, away from Clint. “You’re going to have to trust me. It’s better if I keep this to myself.”

“I’ll trust you when you’re honest,” Clint snapped, and Natasha narrowed her eyes. He turned to look her in the eye again. “This is about Phil, isn’t it?” Something in Natasha’s face twitched, and Clint felt sick. There was something about Natasha’s expression that told him the situation with Phil had turned from bad to worse.

“I’d rather keep it to myself.” Natasha’s voice was quiet now, and she looked to the side again.

“All three of us were partners, Natasha. Not just him and you. Why are you keeping me out of whatever’s going on?”

“I - I don’t want to hurt you, all right? This is for your own good.” Natasha’s voice broke, and Clint resisted the urge to reach out and comfort her.

“Look. If you’re not going to tell me, I’m going to go ask Phil about it myself.” Clint’s voice was a little rough, and the idea of facing Phil made him feel a little ill. He turned to go out the door, but Natasha grabbed his arm.

“-- Clint, no. Please.” Her voice was desperate now, and Clint stopped for the moment.

“Then tell me.” Clint’s voice got a little quieter. “Please.”

Natasha hesitated, and then sat down again, biting her lip and guiding Clint along with her. He sat down beside her, and hesitantly eased his arm around her, hoping to comfort them both a little.

“We were right. Fury took Phil’s memories of us away from him, probably so he wouldn’t seek us out once he was alive.” Natasha stared at the floor, not looking at Clint. Clint felt his hand clench at his side, and he tried to keep his other hand from doing so around Natasha’s shoulder. “Phil knows about it. We’ve been talking about it, but he still can’t remember it. He says he knows it’s the truth, but he doesn’t remember being with us, and he doesn’t want to fake it and hurt us.”

Clint didn’t say anything, trying to process everything Natasha was saying. Despite himself, he felt tears pricking his eyes, and he found himself staring at the floor like Natasha, trying to keep his emotions contained. He wasn’t even sure what hurt most anymore. Everything hurt.

“I - I didn’t want to tell you. We’re not going to get him back, Clint. Not the way it was before. I was trying to keep this from hurting you even more.” Natasha’s voice broke again, and Clint tried to take a deep breath, but his breath was shaky, holding back a sob. He tightened his arm around her, pulling her a little closer.

“So it’s just the two of us, then.” Clint’s voice choked up a little, and he covered his face with his free hand, trying to keep everything contained. Everything in his mind told him that displaying emotion like this was weak, and he had let himself get too attached to Coulson anyway

“Just us.” Natasha’s voice was quiet, and she moved to wrap both of her arms around him, pulling him close. It was when Clint was able to bury his face in Natasha’s shoulder that he let a sob escape, and he screwed his eyes shut, trying to get himself together. Natasha was tense under him too, and he felt a wave of guilt that she had been dealing with this on her own for so long, even though it had been her decision not to tell him.

“I’ve got you, okay?” He said finally, his voice choked, and muffled by Natasha’s shoulder. He felt Natasha nod, and she began to stroke his back. He felt his muscles relax a little under her hand, and he held onto her like she was going to slip away if he let her go.

“We’ll be okay, Clint,” Natasha said finally. “He wasn’t hostile to me or anything. I...I’m trying to get to know him better. All of us could be friends again, at least.”

“It’s stupid of me to hope for more, right?” Clint said weakly, making a sound that would have been a laugh if it hadn’t been so choked. He felt Natasha’s lips brush against his cheek, and he turned his head to catch her lips with his own, briefly.

“Maybe. But you still have me, if you want me.” Natasha leaned her forehead against his, and Clint took a deep, slow breath, breathing in her scent. _Natasha is still here_ , he told himself. _You haven’t lost everyone._

“I never stopped wanting you.” Clint leaned in to kiss Natasha again, and he let himself get lost in the way her lips felt against his, in the way her hands felt against his skin. There had been too many words, he decided. Now was the time for touch.


	6. Chapter 6

“Well, I can’t say you’ll be the next Hawkeye, but you gave it a good try.” Clint gave Skye a pat on the back, and Skye handed him the bow she was holding, having made a valiant attempt at learning how to be Robin Hood.

“I could totally write a program to send that arrow on the correct trajectory. I just can’t do it the old fashioned way.” Skye shrugged a little, and Clint raised his eyebrows.

“Dunno if you were being hypothetical or not, but that’s definitely something possible. I’ve already got arrows that explode, but you could try and program them to do other things. I’d love to see what you could do.” Clint lowered his voice. “Just don’t tell Coulson or Fury. They tend not to like when I do things off protocol.”

Skye laughed a little. “No prob. That’d be a lot of fun, actually.” Something odd had flickered across Clint’s face when he mentioned Coulson, but it was so quick that Skye was half sure she had imagined it. Her mind rifled through bits of code, too distracted by the prospect of programming something as cool as explosive arrows to care all that much about anything else.

“Great. I’ll brainstorm some designs, and when I show them to you, you can tell me if you program them.” Clint wasn’t entirely focusing on her now, though, and there was something a little twitchy about the way he was holding himself. “This is kind of an odd question, but d’you know which room on this thing has the biggest window? I’m feeling kinda stir crazy.”

Skye blinked, surprised. “Yeah, there’s a lounge with a pretty big window. Follow me.”

“I’m used to open spaces, so being stuck in a giant winged tin can is not so great.” Clint kept to Skye’s side as he followed her, and Skye nodded.

“That’s understandable. I guess I was just never bothered by the place. I’m used to being cramped up in small places anyway, so the Bus seems gigantic.” Skye led Clint to one of the lounge rooms, which had a window that, while still fairly small, allowed for a bigger view of the sky than most of the windows on the plane.

“There’s also Melinda’s cockpit, but when she’s flying, she tends to give us a side-eye until we leave. So this is the room with the biggest window.” Skye sat down next to the window, and Clint sat down beside her, looking out the window and relaxing a little.

“Still, I can’t wait till we land. I don’t know how you people live on this thing for so long. There’s no ways out that don’t involve falling,” Clint said, and Skye felt an uncomfortable jolt, his words dredging up the memory of Jemma nearly falling to her death. She tensed a little, feeling an irrational urge to check up on Jemma and Leo to make sure they were okay, but she told herself that they were just in their lab, and nothing was wrong.

“...yeah, you have a point,” Skye said after a little while, her voice quiet. “But I don’t mind it too much, for the most part. I like it here. And I like the people, too.”

Clint was silent, and Skye wondered if he was even listening. He continued to stare out the window, lost in thought, and Skye squirmed a little, feeling awkward.

“I...I’m gonna go train. Or something.”

Clint didn’t respond, so she tapped him on the shoulder gently, trying to get his attention. He turned to look at her, his face a little dazed.

“Sorry. Lost in thought and didn’t hear you.” His voice was a little rough, and Skye frowned a bit, concerned.

“Something bothering you?” She sat down at his side again, and Clint shrugged.

“Nothin’ important.” He turned to look back out the window.

“Come on, I say that exact same thing myself, and it’s always when something big is bothering me. You can talk to me. I won’t judge.” A small part of Skye was curious about if this had anything to do with Coulson, but most of her just wanted to make the poor thing feel better, because he had his despondent puppy face on again.

“I mean it, it’s really stupid,” Clint said, and Skye nudged him.

“I said that, too. And then Natasha nearly wheedled my problem out of me. ...kinda wish she had, in retrospect. Even though it was stupid.” Skye’s voice got a little quieter, thinking of Jemma and Leo.

“...Tell you what. You can talk about that to me, and I’ll talk about what’s bothering me, to you. If you want.” Clint looked over and met Skye’s eyes. She nodded, even though the idea of talking about Jemma and Leo wasn’t exactly pleasant. Clint was impartial to the whole situation, though, so maybe she could just get it off her chest and then not have to think about it again.

“It’s nothing major, honestly. I just - I think I’m in love with someone I can’t have.” Skye kept her voice low, even though the door to the lounge was closed. To her surprise, Clint’s lips curved upward a little in a wry smile.

“Heh. You too?” Clint leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling now, his eyes a little faraway. “That’s my stupid problem too. What, d’you have a crush on Agent Ward or something?”

Skye laughed a little. “Hell no. He’s pretty, but he’s not who I’ve got my eye set on. It’s...it’s actually kinda complicated.”

Clint raised an eyebrow. “If I knew you weren’t being serious, I’d say you’re copying me. I’ve got it pretty complicated, too.” Skye considered this, and then decided not to beat around the bush any longer.

“All right, all right. I’m going to ask you something, and you totally don’t have to answer, but I figure it’s more useful to ask up front than to just dodge around the subject.” Skye looked away from Clint, a little embarrassed. “Were you and Coulson and Natasha a thing? Because you seem like a...weirdly shaped, dysfunctional thing at the moment.” Clint’s face went red, and he didn’t speak for a moment, making Skye think she had made him angry. When he spoke, though, his tone wasn’t unkind.

“You caught me. If it’s that obvious, I guess I can't tell you not to tell anyone else, but I’d still appreciate it if you kept that to yourself.” Clint’s voice was a little rough again. “I...I’m kinda with Nat, but anything involving Coulson is over. That’s all you need to know.”

“Oh.” Skye felt a twinge of sympathy, and leaned to rest her head on Clint’s shoulder. Clint didn’t seem to mind, so she stayed there, taking comfort in the touch.

“I’m not with anyone.” Skye felt like she needed to fill the silence, and with what he just admitted, Clint wouldn’t judge her. “But I’ve kind of got my eye on Fitz and Simmons at the same time. Stupid, right? They’re oblivious, anyway.”

“Not stupid. Just bad luck.” Clint briefly wrapped his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “But hey. Maybe things will change. That’s what I’m hoping for.” Skye managed a faint smile for him and nodded.

“Then I hope things will change for both of us.” Skye got up, feeling a little restless. “And if you need to talk, I’m - “

The plane shook violently and cut Skye off, throwing Skye and Clint against one of the walls as it tried to regain balance. Skye scrambled to regain her balance, but the plane was tilting way more than normal turbulence, and all she could do was hold onto the windowsill.

“The fuck - “ Skye began, and then she screamed as the plane rolled over entirely, sending her and Clint crashing against the window. The thick glass didn’t break, but Skye got a glimpse of the ground, faraway below her, and she felt a jolt of terror.

“Someone’s got control of the plane. I’m trying to override it, but someone hacked our systems.” Melinda’s voice came over the intercom. “I don’t know who it is, but if you’re able to, strap yourselves in. I’m going to need to make an unscheduled landing.”

“Guess you’re gonna get out of the plane pretty soon like you wanted,” Skye said, her voice edged with a little hysteria. Clint took her by the arm, and they strapped themselves into the nearest set of safety belts.

“We’re gonna be all right, Skye.” Clint’s voice was faint, and Skye nodded hazily. It was hard to focus on him, though, because one thought was overriding everything else in her brain.

_Jemma, Leo, please don’t fall._


	7. Chapter 7

Jemma had never really realized how many sharp objects were in a science lab, and when they started falling to the floor - no, ceiling - along with Jemma herself, she screamed. She and Leo tumbled to the ceiling, and then back to the floor as soon as the plane righted itself, and Jemma gave a hiss of pain.

“Broken glass pipettes - be careful, Leo.” Jemma could feel the shards in her left arm, which she had landed on, and she hoped Leo hadn’t gotten the brunt of it. She forced herself up, her legs unsteady, grabbing Leo’s arm and pulling him up, despite the pain in her own.

“Jemma, you’re bleeding - “

“We need to get strapped in! Being in here is unsafe!” Jemma tugged Leo out of the lab and stumbled along the hallway until she found seatbelts, strapping herself and Leo securely. The pain from all the glass was making her eyes swim, but she told herself that they were minor wounds, much easier to fix than broken bones, a concussion, or a snapped neck.

“Where’s Skye? Or anyone else?” Leo asked, and Jemma looked around. She saw a silhouette, and thinking it might be Skye, she felt a wave of relief, but as the figure approached, she saw that it was Romanoff instead.

“Thank God, you two are strapped in.” Romanoff stumbled and grabbed at a spare seatbelt as the plane pitched again, and Jemma heard Melinda swear over the speaker. “Everyone else is strapped in for now, I made sure of it.”

“You were walking around the plane like this?” Jemma’s eyes widened a little, and she noticed a streak of blood flowing down Romanoff’s face from a head wound. Romanoff nodded, strapping herself in.

“Had to account for everyone. You two were last.” Romanoff braced herself, but hardly seemed fazed by the pitching and tossing plane. Jemma stared at her for a moment, more than a little stunned by Romanoff’s bravery.

“I - “ She hesitated. “Skye’s all right, then? You saw her?”

“She’s fine, for now - “ Romanoff was cut off when the plane shuddered, slamming against the ground as Melinda tried her best to land it in God-knew-where. Leo’s hand found Jemma’s, and she squeezed it as tightly as she could, screwing her eyes shut until the plane came to a stop.

Jemma’s heartbeat became entirely too loud when the plane fell silent, and she felt a surge of panic, feeling trapped in her seatbelt. She unstrapped herself and stumbled forward, bracing herself against the wall.

“We’ve landed.” Melinda’s voice came over the speakers, and Jemma heaved a sigh of relief. “We’re in the middle of nowhere in Siberia, but we’ve landed. It’s safe to take off your seatbelts now. Report to the main room for a headcount.”

To Jemma’s bewilderment, Romanoff let out a harsh laugh.

“Of all the goddamn places to land,” Romanoff muttered, kneading her forehead with her hands. “You picked the one place I never wanted to come back to.” She looked up at Jemma and Leo, and seemed to come back to herself, noticing Jemma’s wound. Leo was looking at it too, his face a little pale.

“Fitz, it’s just blood! Don’t look at me like that!” Jemma’s voice was a little shaky, though, and she gingerly rolled up her sleeve, removing leftover bits of glass from her skin. Something made her want to be tough in front of Leo and Romanoff, even if the pain was making tears sting her eyes.

“Let me handle it.” Romanoff stepped forward to look at Jemma’s arm, and Jemma couldn’t hold back a flinch when the former assassin came close to her. Romanoff saw the flinch, and something almost sad flashed across her face for a moment. Jemma looked away.

“We’ll wrap your arm up and then report for headcount.” Romanoff’s voice was softer now, and Jemma still couldn’t make herself look at her. Romanoff led Jemma and Leo to the door of the science lab, and she slipped inside herself, making Jemma and Leo wait at the threshold. After stepping gingerly through the broken glass and splintered metal, she returned with a roll of gauze.

“I - I can handle it, I’m well versed in medical science - “ Jemma began, reaching for the gauze.

“Don’t be stupid, you can’t bandage that with one hand.” Leo took the gauze from Romanoff instead, and Romanoff backed off, letting Leo bandage Jemma instead. Jemma breathed a little easier when it was Leo who was so close instead of Romanoff, and hated herself for it. When Leo was finished, Romanoff gestured for them to follow her.

“Jemma! Leo!”  

Jemma heard Skye’s voice and looked up, feeling a surge of relief when she saw the other woman alive and well. Skye ran toward her and hugged her close without warning, and Jemma saw stars, mostly from the pain in her shoulder.

“Skye - please let go of me - “ Jemma’s voice was hoarse, and Skye immediately backed off, looking like a kicked puppy.

“Sorry, I...just glad to see you.” Skye turned to Leo and gave him a little nod, rather than hugging him. Jemma stepped forward, wrapping her arms gently around Skye, so that she wouldn’t hurt her arm.

“I’m glad to see you too. We’re both so glad you’re okay,” Jemma said, and Skye froze up a little in Jemma’s embrace. “I fell on broken glass, so my arm’s hurt. You just squeezed me a bit too hard, that’s all.”

“--oh. Sorry.” Skye’s voice was small, and Jemma let her go, surprised that Skye had let her hug her that long. “Can I hug Leo, too?”

“Course you can.” Leo’s face softened, and Skye reached her arms forward to hug him, too. Jemma realized that all of the other agents were watching, and her face went bright red. She hoped none of them would comment on it.

Melinda was the last to arrive, her hair mussed and a slight crack in her aviator glasses. In her mind, Jemma could almost hear one of Skye’s comments, teasing Melinda what she might have gotten up to with Ward in the cockpit.

“Everyone’s fine, Mel. A little banged up, but fine.” Coulson said, and Melinda nodded, her expression softening a little when her gaze fell on Ward, who looked like a bedraggled puppy.

“Well, I wouldn’t say ‘fine.’ I’d say alive. The bullshit’s not over yet,” Melinda said. “Whoever hacked our plane also wiped it off the grid. No one can track us, and I can’t communicate with anyone. I don’t know how long the heat is going to last, either. So don’t open the doors unless we have to.”

“Ебля Сибирь.” Romanoff gritted her teeth, and Barton gave her shoulder a squeeze. Jemma wondered what exactly about Siberia was so awful for Romanoff, aside from the obvious cold.

“We’ll figure this out. I’m just glad we’re all alive. That’s the important part,” Coulson said, and something in Barton and Romanoff’s faces hardened a little. Jemma frowned a little, but kept her confusion to herself.

“And for now? We keep warm.”


End file.
